A simple guide to the best of happiness research

This is Part 1 of a two-part series on the best of happiness research. In Part 1, we will provide an overview of happiness research related to different themes in life - effect of money on happiness, work and happiness, marriage and happiness, age and happiness, religion and happiness, technology and happiness, young people and happiness, and happiness in nations around the world.

Money and HappinessGiving money away can buy happiness: 'If doing something would make your mother proud of you, it's probably going to make you feel good.' Relative income is more important than absolute income in determining the happiness of individuals in the United States. Buying experience-related things, rather than material ones, bring more happiness to the consumer: e.g. massage, vacation, seeing a movie etc.

A new car does not stay new for long, and trips to the mechanic only become more frequent. Eventually, the car is less a source of happiness than of annoyance — something to be replaced. A satisfying experience, in contrast, often becomes even more positive over time as it is embellished in memory. A wonderful weekend with friends can live on in happy reminisces and rich stories for years to come.

“It could be that there are environmental changes...or it could be psychological changes about the way we view the world, or it could even be biological — for example brain chemistry or endocrine changes.”

When asked “What one thing in life makes you most happy?” 46% of respondents say spending time with friends, family and loved ones.

Almost no respondents mentioned anything financial or material as a source of happiness when asked an unaided question about what makes them happy.
But many young people report financial woes as a source of unhappiness.
Looking to the future, 70% says they want to be rich - and nearly half think it’s at least somewhat likely they will be someday.Just 29% want to be famous.

University degrees can't buy happiness - people in their 20s with higher degrees are not happier than the young adults who dropped out of high school at the age of 10, the research shows... (&) youngsters destined for university graduation were happier than their peers were during their school and university years.

1. Church goers tend to be happier people.
2. Religious experiences, especially when they happen during prayer, often results in happiness. In fact, intense religious experiences may lead to long-lasting increases in a person's happiness.

Reasons researchers give for religion's positive effect on happiness:Social Support, Firm Beliefs, and Religious experiences, which can be very positive.

Nations and Happiness
Term to know: Happiness economics - The study of a country's quality of life by combining economists' and psychologists' techniques.

World Happiness Survey: Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world is Happiest Nation in World.

Meanwhile in the more collectivist nations such as Japan, China and South Korea, people have a more fatalistic attitude towards happiness. "They believe it is very much a blessing from heavenly sources."

2. Things that give people happiness, satisfaction and meaning in their lives vary considerably between cultures.
Researchers say that ' how satisfied a person is with their life depends largely on how successfully they adhere to their particular cultural "standard".'
3. The happiest nations in the West also tend to have the highest levels of suicide.
For example, "People with mental illness are in real trouble with no extended family to watch over them." and,

young adults who focus on money, image and fame tend to be more depressed, have less enthusiasm for life and suffer more physical symptoms such as headaches and sore throats than others.

The Coca-Cola Study on Global Happiness
The study covered 16 countries across four continents. Some findings:
- People in all countries agree real world contact with family and partners is a greater source of joy (77%) than virtual world alternatives.
- The biggest highlights of the day for people everywhere include catching up with loved ones in the evening (39%), eating with the family (22%) and chatting to friends or colleagues (17%).
- Modern engagements such as watching TV (14%), connecting with others online (5%) and receiving the day’s first text message (2%) did not fare well in comparison.

Also know : The Grant Study at Harvard
Started in 1937. The research team selected 268 male Harvard students. The researchers would study the lives of these men not just at one point in time, but rather over a period of time -72 years.The Grant study has tracked measurable items like physical exercise, cholesterol levels, marital status, the use of alcohol, smoking, education levels, and weight, but also more subjective psychological factors such as how a person employs defense mechanisms to deal with the challenges of life. For the last 42 years, the director has been psychiatrist George Vaillant, who gave this secret to happiness: "The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people."